The Phantom of the Opera
by Sakeryu
Summary: An aspiring opera singer lands herself as the leading role in the production of a well known play. The drama begins far sooner in the script than she originally presumed. Now Sakura must choose between her very own Raoul and Phantom.


**A.N.:** I have fallen in love with opera once again as I have with the wonderful movie The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The characters are absolutely well played and I hope to manipulate this story along. All credit goes to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Warner Brothers. I do not own Naruto or The Phantom of the Opera at all. Credit goes to them all, but not me..sadly. Haha, everything else has been put on hold so that I may write this for you all while inspiration has found me. So deal with it.

Things to know:

The italicized words are lyrics for you all.

Everything will be based on the movie's handling of the material. (i.e. characters, etc.)

The title of the chapter is from the scene selection (or what it says online) in the movie.

I'm debating on who Sakura ends up with. (Hint: Vote in reviews.)

Listening to the music that is in the chapter will set the mood for the chapter.

Happy readings!

**The Phantom of the Opera**

**Chapter One**

"**Prologue"**

_No more memories _

Sakura felt the words swell in her throat, the air pressed tightly in her chest, and her heart loudly thudded against her ribs. Her fingers trembled slightly as she unclasped them from in front of her breasts and dropped them to her sides.

_No more silent tears/_

_No more gazing across the wasted years _

Her eyes pricked with tears as the words flowed from her parted lips. She focused on delivering her finale as she stepped from behind the podium and brushed her hands across the soft fabric of her flowing skirt. She steadied herself as the music lulled slowly, and she sucked in air. Her eyebrows lowered from their raised position.

_Help me say goodbye/  
Help me say goodbye._

Shaking off the last waves of her nerves, Sakura dropped her gaze from her place on the small, makeshift stage to her lone audience. There she stared him down with a renewed butterfly swelling in her stomach as she had from when she started her piece. Her fingers wove into the light fabric of her black skirt and she forced herself to move from elevated stage. She stepped onto the tiled floor and focused on reaching her desk as her fingers clenched tighter due to hearing only the echo of her footsteps.

Once she reached her rather close seat and had begun to gather her belongings, she began to contemplate her course matter. She told herself her professor was agonizing over the horror of her voice, but when he spoke she was startled and her heart fluttered.

"Sakura, once again you've managed to surprise me."

Sakura's vibrant eyes shot to the lone eye of her music instructor and she felt a wave of disbelief crush her. She stared into the lazy expression of pure, unadulterated content and she furrowed her brow in suspicion.

"Professor Hatake, I don't think I understand." Sakura ventured as she slid the strap of her messenger bag across her shoulder, adjusting so.

She turned fully to him and watched as his warm eyes settled on the script in front of him.

"You're the best soprano I've ever had in my years teaching at this University. I don't think I've never had a student master the intonation, the emotion, nor the levels of understanding of Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again. You make every vocal exam I give a mere excuse for me to listen to a piece of Heaven's joy. I still believe you should be in the University's musical."

Sakura's cheeks flushed with heat and she darted her eyes away from the smiling face of her instructor as he approached her desk. Heat wafted up and she had a hard time trying to control the nervous laughter bubbling in her chest.

"Professor, you flatter me too much. I couldn't quite get the lowest portion of the material down, and I by far couldn't stop shaking enough to actually perform! Hatake-san, please understand that I am no real performer like the other members and-"

"Hush now." She flushed in embarrassment as he stopped in front of her. The heat radiating off him caused her to clearly forget the protest that was lodged on the tip of her tongue. Her eyes trailed up and over to his reassuring gaze. She closed her mouth and breathed in trying to focus on her instructor's moving lips.

"- isn't too hard. You can do it if you put your mind too it. There are many things you can do. You don't have to be on stage. You can do the choir if you want or setup. If anyone gives you trouble, you can tell them to shove it. It's for a grade."

Sakura let him take her hand and enclose the script within her grasp. Raising her gaze from the heavy paper, she was startled to find him on his way to the door.

"A grade? But professor, I thought this was my grade for the first half of the semester? There was nothing in the syllabus about performing!" Sakura protested to deaf ears.

He turned toward her and she felt her cries die in her throat at the sheer look of boredom across his devilish features. She straightened herself vigorously when he turned back to the door. Clenching the script in her shaking hands, she made to follow him out of the clear room, but paused when he pulled open the door and moved through the threshold.

"Think of it as a special assignment. I'll see you at rehearsal tomorrow!" he lithely called back with a wave of his hand.

Blinking rapidly, she sung into the chair beside her with a huff and she struggled to catch her breath as she memorized how he strolled on out with his hands tucked into his back pockets and his laughter ringing in her ears.

"An opera performer.."


End file.
